QS World Rankings: India has most new entrants in ranking of top varsities
Bengaluru: India has notched up the highest number of new entries globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, and the number of ranked Indian universities rose 390% in a decade, from 11 to 54 - the fastest increase across the G20 nations.
With eight new entries this year, India is now the fourth most represented country in the rankings, after US (192), UK (90) and Mainland China (72).
"No other country has seen more universities debut in this edition of the rankings - a clear sign of a system evolving at speed and scale," said Jessica Turner, CEO of QS.
Research footprint
IIT Delhi is India’s top-ranked institute at joint 123rd, followed by IIT Bombay (129th) and IIT Madras (180th). Other institutes in the Indian top 10 include IIT Kharagpur (joint 215th), IISC Bangalore (joint 219th), IIT Kanpur (222nd), University of Delhi (joint 328th), IIT Guwahati (joint 334th), IIT Roorkee (joint 339th), and Anna University (joint 465th).
Indian universities are strengthening their global research footprint and advancing in areas such as Citations per Faculty, Sustainability, and International Research Network, the rankings revealed.
In tandem, the employer reputation of Indian institutions continues to grow. Five Indian institutions – IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur and Symbiosis International -- feature in the global top 100 on this front, with an average score of 24.9, ahead of Mainland China (23.7), Finland (23.1) and France (21.5).
The country has eight institutions in the global top 100 for Citations per Faculty, highlighting its rapidly expanding research footprint.
“The National Education Policy 2020 has sought to promote India as a global study destination,” Turner said. “With more than 40% of India’s people under 25, the drive to expand both access and quality is not just an education agenda, it is a national imperative.”
However, challenges remain on parameters such as international student and faculty-student ratio.
As many as 78% of Indian universities saw a decline in the International Students Ratio indicator this year, reflecting the continuing challenge of attracting international students at scale.
This has implications not just for rankings, but for the student experience. No Indian university currently features among the global top 500 for this metric.
When it comes to the Faculty/Student Ratio indicator, 63% of Indian universities saw a decline, reflecting one of the most complex structural challenges facing the sector.
O P Jindal Global University (JGU) is the only Indian university to feature in the global top 350 for Faculty/Student Ratio, ranking 257th this year.
“The rankings also highlight the next frontier — attracting more international students and faculty and building academic capacity to support quality at scale,” Turner said.
The 2026 rankings evaluate 1,500+ institutions across 106 countries and territories.
With eight new entries this year, India is now the fourth most represented country in the rankings, after US (192), UK (90) and Mainland China (72).
"No other country has seen more universities debut in this edition of the rankings - a clear sign of a system evolving at speed and scale," said Jessica Turner, CEO of QS.
Research footprint
IIT Delhi is India’s top-ranked institute at joint 123rd, followed by IIT Bombay (129th) and IIT Madras (180th). Other institutes in the Indian top 10 include IIT Kharagpur (joint 215th), IISC Bangalore (joint 219th), IIT Kanpur (222nd), University of Delhi (joint 328th), IIT Guwahati (joint 334th), IIT Roorkee (joint 339th), and Anna University (joint 465th).
Indian universities are strengthening their global research footprint and advancing in areas such as Citations per Faculty, Sustainability, and International Research Network, the rankings revealed.
In tandem, the employer reputation of Indian institutions continues to grow. Five Indian institutions – IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur and Symbiosis International -- feature in the global top 100 on this front, with an average score of 24.9, ahead of Mainland China (23.7), Finland (23.1) and France (21.5).
The country has eight institutions in the global top 100 for Citations per Faculty, highlighting its rapidly expanding research footprint.
“The National Education Policy 2020 has sought to promote India as a global study destination,” Turner said. “With more than 40% of India’s people under 25, the drive to expand both access and quality is not just an education agenda, it is a national imperative.”
However, challenges remain on parameters such as international student and faculty-student ratio.
As many as 78% of Indian universities saw a decline in the International Students Ratio indicator this year, reflecting the continuing challenge of attracting international students at scale.
This has implications not just for rankings, but for the student experience. No Indian university currently features among the global top 500 for this metric.
When it comes to the Faculty/Student Ratio indicator, 63% of Indian universities saw a decline, reflecting one of the most complex structural challenges facing the sector.
O P Jindal Global University (JGU) is the only Indian university to feature in the global top 350 for Faculty/Student Ratio, ranking 257th this year.
“The rankings also highlight the next frontier — attracting more international students and faculty and building academic capacity to support quality at scale,” Turner said.
The 2026 rankings evaluate 1,500+ institutions across 106 countries and territories.
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